When your child is complaining of a sore throat and has a fever, those are tell-signs that he or she may be suffering from strep throat. If this is the case, it’s best to visit our AFC center for a rapid strep test to confirm that diagnosis. Are rapid strep tests accurate, though?

Yes, they are! Our AFC Urgent Care Cleveland team further explains below, so keep reading.

How Can I Know If My Child Has Strep Throat?

A sore throat is one of the most common and first symptoms of strep throat. However, if your child experiences a sore throat along with a cough, he or she likely doesn’t have strep throat.

If your child experiences any of the symptoms that we’ve listed below alongside your sore throat, he or she may have strep throat, and you should visit our AFC center soon to get the necessary treatment. If your doctor does, indeed, believe your child has strep, he or she will likely perform a quick, painless and accurate rapid strep test to confirm his or her diagnosis.

Common Strep Throat Symptoms

• A sudden fever, especially if it’s 101˚F or higher
• A sore, red throat with white patches
• A headache
• Chills
• A loss of appetite
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
• Trouble swallowing

Will a Rapid Strep Test Produce a False Positive?

Most likely, no. According to sources, the rapid strep test has a 98% specificity, which means that 98 of 100 positive tests correctly indicate that your child has strep throat.

In addition to rapid strep tests, our AFC center provides accurate rapid flu and COVID-19 test results in 15 minutes or less without a necessary appointment, so don’t wait to visit us if you believe your child has one of these illnesses! If he or she is feeling sick, encourage your child to avoid spreading germs by practicing the good health manners that we’ve listed below.

Ways Your Child Can Prevent Germs From Spreading

• Cover his or her nose and mouth with a tissue when sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose.
• Discard used tissues in the trash as soon as you can.
• Frequently wash his or her hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (the length of the “ABC song”).
• Keep your child home if he or she has a cough and fever.
• Don’t allow meal sharing.
• Take your child to the doctor as soon as you can if he or she has a cough and fever.

Feeling under the weather? Don’t hesitate to visit our AFC Urgent Care Cleveland center today as no appointments are required!